1849.] Bigelow on the Medical Botany of Ohio. 35 



Order LXII.— COMMELYNACEjE. {Spider Wort Family.) 



Sp. 184. Commelyna virginica. Linn. 



Com. name — Day-flower. Stems, perennial, upright, smooth; 

 petals, blue; leaves, 5' — 7' long, 1' — 2' wide.— July. 



Sp. 185. Tradescantia virginica. Linn. 



Com. name — Spider's Wort. Stems, perennial mucilagin- 

 ous; leaves keeled grass like; flowers in umbelled clusters; 

 blue. — May, Aug. 



Roots, anti-febrile, emollient, pectoral and anodyne. (Raf. 

 Med. Flor. 2d. 212.) 



Order LXIII.— XYR1DACE.E. [Yellow-eyed Grass- Family.] 



Sp. 186. Xyris bulbosa. Kunth. Syri. X Indica. Pursh. X. Car- 

 oliniana. Flor. Lan. 



Com. name — Yellow-eyed Grass. Leaves, 1^' — 8', the 

 scape 3' — 14' high. Petals minutely toothed at the summit, 

 yellow. — July, Sept. 



Roots and leaves used against lepra, and diseases of the 

 skin by Hindus. [Raf. 3d. 276.] 



Order LXIV.— GRAMINEtE. [Grass Family.] 

 Sp. 187. Bromus ciliatus, Linn. Syn. B. Purgans. Linn. 



Com. name — Brome Grass. Perennial culm, 3° — 4° high. 



Said to be emetic, anthelmintic, &c, but doubted by Griffith, 

 [Med. Bot. 663.] Rafinesque says it is sudorific, vermifuge, 

 laxative, diuretic, menagogue, &c, and purges cattle. [Med. 

 Flor. 2d. 202.] 



Sp. 188. Bromus mollis. Linn. 



Com. name — Soft Brome Grass. Biennial, sparingly natu- 

 ralized. 



Pareira, [Elm. Mat. Med. Vol. I. p. 122,] remarks that Lou- 

 don tells us that the seeds of this plant bring on giddiness in the 

 human species and quadrupeds, and are fatal to poultry. — 

 [Griffith, Med. Bot. 662.] 



Order LXV.— EQUISETACEiE. [Horse-tail Family.] 



Sp, 189. Equisetum arvense, Linn. 



Com. name — Horse-tail. Fertile stems, never branching 8' 

 — 15' high. — April. 



Astringent, diuretic, &c. Used in hematuria, gonorrhoea, 

 phthisis, &c. [Raf. 2d. 217.] 



